Monday, July 15, 2013

I covet all the prayers I can get...

I had a fellow stop by the church for one reason or another. I forget why. Anyway, the guy turned to leave and said, "now you pray for me, brother. I know God listens to you. I ask everybody to pray for me. You know who God will listen to. So I covet all the prayers I can get from anyone and everyone. Thanks, now..."

I know what he meant but I also know what he meant. On the one hand his was a typical comment made often to all kinds of clergy -- suggesting they are closer to God than others and therefore have more sway with the Almighty... But on the other hand, he was also saying it matters little which deity you pray to as long as the prayers get answered. The more the better. The more diverse the pray-ers the more likely the prayers will be answered -- as you like.

I get this all the time. I am sure every Pastor does. But it has taken on a new meaning. With the diversity of religious expression now cultivated as well as found in America, the prayers and blessings of a breadth of people, religions, and deities are treated much the same way we might have welcomed the prayers of Christians of different denominations in the past.

So it took on new form when I read of a multi-faith baccalaureate service in which all the holy folk got up to raise their hands in blessing and impart the good wishes of a multiplicity of religions and gods upon those attending. How could you go wrong with so many folks prayin for ya! Indeed!!

Read it and weep:

Western Nevada College held a unique Multi-faith Baccalaureate
Service on May 20 in Carson City, the first in its 41 plus years of
existence.According to religious statesman Rajan Zed, co-organizer of this
Service along with Douglas Diversity Student Club of WNC; faith leaders
belonging to Christian (various denominations), Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist,
Jewish, Baha’i and Native American traditions blessed the graduates
with their respective prayers in this Service. Dance and music also
formed part of this ceremony and a representative of non-believers also
addressed the Service.Religious leaders who participated included Saint Teresa of Avila
Catholic Community Carson City Pastor Father Charles T. Durante, Carson
City 1st United Methodist Church Pastor Reverend Dixie Jennings-Teats,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Quorum of the Seventy
Member George Marion Keele, Northern Nevada Muslim Community President
Doctor Sherif A. Elfass, Universal Society of Hinduism President Rajan
Zed, Reno Buddhist Center Priest Reverend Jikai’ Phil Bryan, South Lake
Tahoe Temple Bat Yam Rabbi Evon J. Yakar, Baha’i teacher Catherine B.
Thayer, and Paiute Elder Ralph E. Burns. Patrick J. McCarthy from Reno
Freethinkers (atheists, agnostics, skeptics, humanists, etc., promoting
secular values) also addressed Service held at Carson City Community
Center.

The only problem with this is that any deity worth his or her salt would be offended by being treated as merely one of the cafeteria choices available. The only problem with this is the God of Gods who has sent forth His Son refuses to be counted as merely one of many options and is a jealous and exclusive Godwho shows mercy inclusively through one Savior and who hears the prayers of His people. When we multiply the prayers and blessings to and from a variety of deities, we end up diluting the meaning and power of the whole thing. Faith is not a what if but a because.

Perhaps it is my fault. Instead of merely smiling as people asked my prayers along with the prayers of every religious and religion they encounter, I should have confronted this honestly. Perhaps we are not reaping our rewards for a tacit approval that presumed it to be a wholehearted endorsement of religious pluralism. Now we are caught. When we defer from such a kumbayah we sound arrogant, when we refuse to join the fun, we sound aloof, and when insist upon that which offers integrity to the Triune God, we sound exclusivistic.... all the while we are merely trying to be faithful... Indeed!

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Our Means of Grace Window

The Window

This is the Means of Grace Window that is above the altar of Grace Lutheran Church where I serve. It reminds us of the keys (confession and absolution), the wheat(the bread which is the Body of Christ), the cup (which is His Blood), the Word (Scripture), and the Pastoral Office (the red stole). In this one wonderful window we see the treasures of the Church in the Word and Sacraments and I love that it is available for all to see. I realize that this image has been stolen all over the internet but it is a real window, a copyrighted image, belonging to Grace Lutheran Church, Clarksville, Tennessee, which has kindly allowed my use of it...

About Me

I have been a Lutheran Pastor for more than 37 years, serving in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, and the Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Clarksville, TN, in my 25th year here. I have a lot of thoughts (obviously not all of equal weight or importance) and this place is where you meet some of those meandering thoughts from this pastoral mind.

Why begin a blog?

I spend a few minutes a few times a week checking out several different blogs. Some are on-line forums and others are the musings of friends, who, like me, are Lutheran Pastors. Since so many spend so much time in front of their computer, I am sharing a few thoughts in this medium. So join the conversation and see what pops up.